Linksys expected to fetch less than the $500 million Cisco paid in 2003

Cisco Systems is one the largest makers computer network hardware in the world. While the majority of the products that Cisco sells directly are enterprise grade products sold to businesses, Cisco does have the Linksys consumer brand for wireless routers, hubs, and IP cameras.

However, a report suggests Cisco is looking to sell Linksys and has hired Barclays PLC to help it find a buyer. Bloomberg indicates that Linksys could be interesting to TV makers seeking a recognized brand name and technology.

Cisco purchased Linksys in 2003 to give itself a consumer networking arm for $500 million. At the time, Linksys was a mature company in the consumer business segment with low margins. Linksys is now expected to fetch significantly less than the $500 million Cisco paid.

Like many other companies in the technology segment, Cisco has been downsizing in order to streamline its operations. The company eliminated 7,800 employees over the last year and closed its Flip video camera unit that made small, handheld digital camcorders.

yeah, and you've got to love how they never leave the password with the users so they could administrate it, leave it almost completely wide open for hackers, then provide the MPAA and RIAA with their users' IPs so they could be wrongly sued.

No thanks, I provide my own cable modem and router. With the quality of home routers (7 routers from 4 brands, Belkin, Netgear, WD, and Trendnet, in the last 2 years, none lasting longer than 6 months, most less than 2) these days, I'm also setting up my own server as wireless access point and secure router.

Wow, seriously..? Try looking on the sticker on the bottom for the default password, or your 'quick start guide'. I've installed hundreds of modems/routers, and they all pretty much make it plain and simple. I haven't seen a router from an ISP without a random generated default password in at least 5 years, and most if not all also have most firmware features locked from the outside by default.

Well I have FIOS and the routers password at one time had some default but Verizon connected to it and changed it to be the serail number and there isn't a sticker on the buttom of it. I have seen others that do have it but mine doesn't and I'm betting anyone else that got one around the same time doesn't have a sticker either and that was only two years ago. However they don't keep it a secret so if you don't know it just call them and you can administer your heart away. BTW the serial number doesn't seem to work for the password :-(. and besides what good is having a 25MB line when you have a 10 100 Mb port on a "G" wireless router? It won't get anywhere near the 25MB speed at your device.

They are trying to sell me a 75MB line if I re sign up but I don't see the need since it will never come out of the router/modem that fast unless they also supply me a different modem/router.

I wish I could get more than 1.5Mb service from AT&T. I live 5 miles from a town of 20k people and just got that about two years ago. My parents have phone service with an independent phone company Brandenburg Telephone Company and they have 2Mb(company offers higher, they got the entry level) and live 20 miles from the nearest town of 1500 people and there is probably a mile between houses there. If some little company that serves about three counties in Kentucky can offer such service, why can't someone like AT&T offer at least that much?